French Odyssey
by worldwithoutlogic
Summary: Allen, Lenalee, Lavi and Kanda go on a trip to Paris! How does a simple plate of escargot affect Lenalee's perspective of Lavi? LavixLenalee!
1. We're Going to Paris?

**_My first fanfic ever! Please review, and tell me what you think about it. ^^I'd really appreciate it._**

**_D. Gray-Man, in its entirety, does not belong to me. At all._**

* * *

We're going to Paris?

The Innocence had been recovered, the Akuma killed and things were slowly settling back into place, as always.  
Allen, Lenalee, Kanda and Lavi went back to the Black Order to report to Komui, Head of the Science Department.

"All in one piece I hope?" greeted Komui with a cheerful smile.

He leaned in closer. "Especially Lenalee?"

The big brother scrutinised her, readying himself to blame the other three exorcists for any injuries inflicted upon his precious sister during the violent battle.

Seemingly satisfied, he nodded.

"Job well done. I guess you guys deserve a break. Does a trip to France sound good?"

"You know, Paris? The city of love?" Komui added, nodding at Kanda and Allen.

Kanda gave a threatening glare and brandished his prized sword, Mugen.

"Hey hey hey. No need to resort to violence, Yuu!" Lavi smirked.

"Why, you-" he held Lavi at knifepoint.

"Cut it out. Maybe I was wrong to say that you all were going to be in one piece." Komui sighed.

"Oh well. Now pack your bags, because you're all going to Paris!"

"I'm not going."

"WHAT?"

"I'm not going. That's final. Paris is no place for me."

"Suit yourself, Yuu, cos we're-" Lavi pranced around the office

"Going to have fun-" he leaned towards Kanda, a cheeky grin plastered onto his face.

"Without ya!"

And with that, he sauntered out of the office to do some Bookman recording.

Kanda scowled. "Whatever. I'm not like you idiotic individuals who have got nothing better to do with your pathetic lives."

Allen stepped forward, ignoring the previous comment.

"Alright then. We'll miss you! And I promise that we'll buy something for everyone!"

"Hmph" was all the blue-haired exorcist said before shuffling off to do something more "constructive".

* * *

_Two days later-_

Lavi, Allen, Kanda and Lenalee, carrying bags of all shapes and sizes, boarded the carriage to the airport.

"I can't believe that I actually agreed on going to Paris. I must be mad," Kanda grumbled.

"Isn't this exciting?" Allen remarked, desperately trying to break the silence. Even Lavi was unusually quiet during the journey.

"Not really. Uhm."

"Lavi, just because there aren't any cute girls here doesn't mean that the holiday's gonna be a bore."

"Who says that there aren't any cute girls here?" Lavi mumbled, resting his head on the window pane, while he discreetly cast a glance at Lenalee out of the corner of his eye.

"What? Didn't catch that."

"Oh, nothing."

After packets of potato chips and lame jokes, they finally reached the airport and boarded the plane.

"What? No fair!"

"What now, Lavi?" Allen sighed.

"See this boarding pass? I'm going to be sitting at the rear of the plane with Kanda. While both of ya sit together. IN FRONT."

Despite all the complaints and grumbles from Lavi, they still got seated in the airplane.

Allen turned to Lenalee.

"So, Lenalee. If you need anything, just ask me. I'll get it for you."He smiled at her, touching her hand lightly.

All attempts at winning her heart over were interrupted by the flight stewardess.

"Good afternoon, passengers. Our flight to Paris is now commencing. Please buckle your seatbelts for your own safety. Thank you."

Meanwhile, Lavi fidgeted in the rear seat, craning his neck while ignoring a girl whose incessant chattering annoyed him.

"Hey. I've never met someone so good looking before. Where do you come from? I'd-"

"I'm sorry, but could you just shut your trap for a sec?"

It was unusual of Lavi to insult a girl(and a good-looking one at that), but there were more important things at the moment. Like trying to find out what the two were doing up front.

His persistence still did not wear off 2 hours into the flight.

"Come on, Lavi. Give it a rest!"

Kanda glared at him, after Lavi had stepped on his foot multiple times trying to stand up and spy on the two in front.

Allen and Lenalee were fast asleep, Lenalee's head resting on the other's shoulder.

And on the foldaway table in front of them were a huge stack of empty dishes, with a sleeping Timcanpy resting on the topmost plate.

Allen sure ate a lot.


	2. Here Comes the Escargot!

_**Hey guys! Sorry for the extremely long absence, but i was busy with end-year exams. Well, i'm back with another chapter! Finally.**_

_**Once again, d gray man does not belong to me.**_

_**Enjoy!**_

* * *

**Here Comes the Escargot!**

At the end of the 3 hour flight, the four friends stepped into Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport.

"Wow. So this is Paris, eh?" Allen exclaimed.

"It's really beautiful in the evening," Lenalee breathed.

Kanda looked indifferent. As always.

"So, anyone up for authentic French cuisine?" Allen asked cheerfully.

Lenalee nodded.

"Whatever. I'm going to check into my own hotel room." Kanda folded his arms and walked away.

"What about you, Lavi?"

"Lavi?"

Poor Lavi was walking through the airport half asleep, completely oblivious to his surroundings.

"Maybe he's suffering from jet lag," Lenalee offered.

No, it's because I stayed up during the entire flight trying to spy on you guys, Lavi thought to himself.

But he was definitely not going to say that out aloud.

"Fine then. Considering the circumstances, let's go check into the hotel first and go for dinner later.

* * *

"Here's the reservation," Allen said to the receptionist.

"Under Allen Walker? Here you go. Room 0810."

She handed him three keys to Room 0810.

Lenalee stared at Allen.

"We'll all be in one room?"

"Uh, no, ma'am. It's a family suite. Three rooms in one," the receptionist said, overhearing the conversation.

Allen, Lenalee and a bleary-eyed Lavi made their way up to their room on the 8th floor.

"So, welcome to our home for the next 4 days."

Upon putting down the luggage, Allen switched on the television.

"And now for the weather. It's the beginning of winter, so expect snow to arrive later this week. Temperatures will be at a high of 10 degrees and low at 4 degrees."

"Ooh. I've never seen French snow before," Lavi remarked, settling himself onto the sofa.

Allen eyed him with a mixture of curiosity and exasperation.

"Um… Lavi? Are you dreaming or something?" He ventured.

But Lavi was already fast asleep.

"Oh well. You wanna go to that French restaurant outside the hotel?" Allen asked Lenalee.

"The doorman said that the escargot there was superb, or Magnifique, in French terms."

"Escargot? What are those?" Lenalee wondered aloud.

"You'll find out later. But they taste really good. I had some when I was young."

* * *

Allen and Lenalee left a snoring Lavi and walked to the restaurant.

"Good evening. Have a seat." A burly waiter said in English.

Allen, being the kind gentleman he always was, pulled the chair out for Lenalee to sit on.

He gestured for the waiter.

"Half dozen escargot, one plate of foie gras…" he rattled on while reading the menu.

"Alright, monsieur. They shall be ready in 25 minutes," the waiter replied in heavily accentuated English.

"Wow. I didn't know your English was that good. I didn't even understand half the things you were talking about, and I take classes," Lenalee gaped at Allen.

Allen smiled at her.

"I learnt quite a lot of English before I moved to Japan with Mana. After all, I lived in Britain when I was young."

"Hmmm. That makes sense."

Allen started talking about his life before being an exorcist, and Lenalee listened carefully. Boy, did he have an interesting life.

"Monsieur, your meal is ready," a voice said.

The burly waiter came back, trays laden with food. He set the food down on the table.

"Enjoy."

Lenalee looked at the plate which was right below her nose.

"Um, Allen? Is this escargot?"

He looked over.

"Yup. Looks delicious, doesn't it?"

Lenalee was beginning to turn a light shade of green. She gulped.

"Ok-ay. I'm sorry, but is this edible?"

"Of course! I tried some a long time ago, and I'm not dead yet," Allen said cheerfully.

Lenalee turned to another plate.

"And what is this?"

"Uh, that's foie gras! Goose liver."

Lenalee turned even greener as she gawked at the French delicacies.

"Sorry, but it seems that I'm unable to appreciate authentic French cuisine. I think I need to excuse myself. Take a little breather outside."

"Don't get lost, okay? I'll look for you later. And are you sure you don't want some? I'll have to finish it you know."

Lenalee eyed the plates distastefully. She gave a weak smile.

"No, thank you. A person like you needs more food than I do. Catch you later!"

Having said that, she promptly dashed out of the restaurant.

In her rush to get out, she accidentally bumped into one of the people outside the restaurant.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to do that."

"It's okay. Hey! Lenalee?"

"Lavi! It's you! Woke up from your slumber already? Allen's in the restaurant now. He's decided to try some French dish with snails and goose innards!"

"That's escargot and foie gras. French delicacies."

"Yes! That's what they're called. And I don't think that I can stomach those."

Lavi laughed.

"So, Lenalee. Have ya eaten yet? Do ya want to, say, grab a baguette?

"Please tell me that's not a mollusc."

"Well, you're in luck! Cos a baguette's something like a burger. Or a submarine sandwich."

"Okay, that sounds good. I'm in."

She was just about to walk off with Lavi when she remembered something important.

"Oh, shucks! I left my wallet in the restaurant!"

She stepped towards the direction of the restaurant.

Lavi put his arm around Lenalee and pulled her back.

Lenalee froze. Why was his touch so pleasantly electrifying all of the sudden?

"It's okay. Dinner's on me."

They bought the sandwiches at a nearby café.

"These are nice, aren't they?"

Lavi remarked, biting down on one.

"Uh huh. Thanks for recommending this to me."

"No problem. It's nice to have something different once in a while. Komui should try this."

He commented, devouring the last of the bread.

Lavi stood up.

"So, ya wanna go find Allen now? He'd be lonely, eating all by himself."

"Ok. I kinda feel guilty for abandoning him."

Lenalee said, shivering. She left her jacket in the restaurant, together with her wallet.

The other exorcist looked at her.

"Too eager to escape those mushy things, huh? I don't fancy them either. Anyway, you can have my jacket for the time being. Here."

Lavi took off his jacket and draped it around Lenalee. She felt warmth wash over her instantly.

"Your jacket is so warm and comfortable, Lavi," she sighed.

"Haha. My pleasure, Mademoiselle." He gave a grin.

Lenalee looked up into his face, blushing furiously. She averted his gaze and awkward silence followed.

Funny how Lavi's choice of words can make you feel so flustered.

Not even Allen was able to make her blush like a fool. Sure, he was fun and entertaining, but Lavi had always made her feel special when he was with her.  
Like all the attention was focused on her.

He obviously noticed her blushing, and laughed, running a hand through his hair.

"Being in such a romantic place just makes you feel like blurting out poetry and such, doesn't it?"

"To a special someone?" He added slyly.

Lenalee looked down at the floor. Why did this small incident concerning escargot, of all things, change the way she thought about Lavi?  
She'd never thought about Lavi this way. He was supposed to be an obnoxious flirt, not some romantic!

"Hey, Lenalee? Let's go find Allen, shall we?"

She shook all those thoughts out of her head and nodded weakly. It must have looked really dumb, spacing out on a crowded walkway like that.

* * *

They found Allen walking down a street.

"There you are! And Lavi's here too. That's great. Here's your jacket and wallet, Lenalee. You left it in the restaurant."

"I'll hold it for you," Lavi said quickly, reaching out for Lenalee's jacket.

"Let's go shopping!"

They walked into a souvenir shop near the Louvre.

"Woah. Do you think Old Panda would kick me if I gave him that?"

"Komui would love this!"

"Hey, Allen. Shouldn't we get something for Kanda? I bet he'd coop himself up in his room the whole time if he had a choice."

"Fine." Allen sighed.

They emerged from the shop 15 minutes later, laden with paper bags.

"Seriously. We should not splurge like that. It's only the first day of the 7 day trip!" Lenalee remarked.

"It's late. Wanna hit the sack? We can go sightseeing tomorrow. I heard that the Arc de Triomphe is beautiful." Allen grinned.

Lavi pouted.

"No. I wanna go to the Louvre! At least you get to learn something there."

Both of them started arguing with each other all the way back to the hotel.

"All right! We'll go

to both! Now stop your bickering." Lenalee said hotly.

Both quietened down.

* * *

When they reached the suite, Allen and Lavi were in front of the tv again, watching a reality show, while Lenalee stretched out on the bed in her own room.

Pondering about the day's events, she yawned loudly.

"I wonder. Am I going crazy, or is it that when I was with Lavi just now, I felt so safe… yet awkward? It's probably just some dumb crush. But in the first place, falling for a best friend is just wrong, man. Or is it? I know he's one of the first exorcists I met when I joined the Black Order, and I have always loved him as a friend, but why is this going a step further? It's just crazy. I'm crazy. What's wrong with me?"

She threw her pillow across the room in anguish.

"So much for love being wonderful. This newfound feeling's just giving me headaches."

Lenalee slumped onto her pillow, spending the night mulling things over.

* * *

_**A/N: I've already done the next chapter, but i'm still checking it over. It'll be updated in a few days. :)**_


	3. The Confession

**_Ok. i've procrastinated yet again... sorry. :(_**

**_anyway, here's the third chapter of French Odyssey. quite short, i have to admit._**

**_D gray man does not belong to me.(and i have to say that at least 3 more times in the upcoming chapters.)_**

**_enjoy!_**

* * *

**The Confession**

"Rise and shine, people! It's time to go down for breakfast! Then we can begin our day of sightseeing," Allen burst out from his room and shouted at the other exorcists' doors.

"Hey, it's only 8am. What kind of holiday would be complete without a few extra…" Lavi dozed off once again, only to be prodded by Allen, who had let himself in, over and over again.

"No harm in being enthusiastic! The early golem catches the worm! Speaking of golems, have you seen Timcanpy? He was here before I went to bed, but he disappeared this morning."

"Nope. But he'll come back. He always does," Lenalee said, opening the door while brushing her hair.

The three of them went over to Kanda's room and dragged him out of his "only place of sanity", much to his discontent.

"Let's go tour the Louvre first. The Arc is nicer in the evening. Then we can go have dinner at a restaurant-"

Lenalee stares at Allen.

"Without escargot. Or any other exotic French food. Happy?" Allen added hastily.

"Che."

12 hours later----

Allen, Lavi, Lenalee and Kanda entered a posh restaurant.

"Boy, just looking at the interior decorations, I feel a large crater forming in my pocket," Lenalee shuddered.

"Oh, but won't Komui-san be kind enough to reimburse at least a portion of the money?" Lavi asked sweetly.

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Waiter, can I have this?"

"Of course! Your order would be ready in 20 minutes. How about you, Monsieur?"

The rest gave him their orders, and he strode off to the kitchens.

Allen turned to Lenalee, who was relaxing comfortably on the cushioned seat.

"So, how's the evening going, Lenalee?"

"Fine. I can't wait for dinner to arrive."

Allen looked down, fiddling with his thumbs.

"Lenalee, I need to ask you… a question."

She nodded, gesturing at him to continue.

"Um… How do I phrase this? I know that this might be an awkward moment to say this, but I really care about you, Lenalee, and I was hoping if-"

Lavi's eyes opened at that.

"…if you could be my-"

CRASH!

The chair Lavi was sitting on overturned as he stood up abruptly.

"I'm going."

Having said that, he ran out of the restaurant and into the crowded Parisian streets.

"What just happened?" Allen said worriedly, craning his neck to see if Lavi was just hanging around outside to take a breather or something.

"I'll talk to him later. So what were you saying again, Allen?" Lenalee turned her head back towards him.

"Lenalee, would you be my girlfriend?"

"Uhhh…" Lenalee stuttered.

She wanted to kick herself for being so slow. So that was the reason Lavi stormed out.

"Can I be honest with you, Allen?" Lenalee said quietly.

Allen nodded.

"I think you're a really nice guy, Allen, but I don't think you're the one for me. And I'm positive that I'm not the one for you either."

Putting her hands on top of his, she continued.

"You'll find your true love one day, Allen, but it's not going to be me. I'm…I'm confused too, and I don't want to be sure of myself until I understand the situation properly. But you're still my best friend ever, so don't be angry at me, alright?"

Allen's face showed a hint of sadness, but he quickly hid his melancholy and brightened up a little, putting his hand on Lenalee's shoulder.

"We'll be the best of friends!" He said fiercely, trying to convince himself that their relationship was not going to be affected by the past few statements.

Lenalee smiled at him.

"Now I have to find Lavi."

Kanda gave Allen a resigned look as Lenalee bolted out of the door.

"Che. Moyashi's a loser."

Allen lifted his head, not bothering to rebut.

"Lenalee cares a lot for Lavi, doesn't she?"

"Hmph. I don't really care." Kanda said, as he picked through a plate of gratin with visible discontent.

"Why can't French restaurants serve soba?"

* * *

_**And i had to end with such a corny sentence. Oh well. I can't say when the next chapter's coming up, because i haven't actually written it yet.  
See, i usually write alot of chapters(okay, 3) at one go, then slowly go through them, so please give me some time to write the next chapter. :)**_

_**I hope you've enjoyed this one, and please do comment! thanks. :)**_


	4. Hidden Emotions

_**Okay. I'm realllly reeeaally sorry that i didn't update for like, what? TWO YEARS? (even I can't believe it.)**_

_**I shall now be eligible for the "Best Procrastinator" award. Urgh.**_

_**Anyway, after two years of waiting, waiting and more waiting, here's the next chapter of French Odyssey. :)**_

_**-inserts disclaimer here-**_

* * *

Lenalee was searching for that cheeky scarlet-haired Bookman.

Lavi, on the other hand, was sitting on the steps of a building in the alley behind the restaurant.

What was wrong with him? Why did he suddenly yearn for Lenalee, and felt so jealous when Allen was about to confess to her?

Was he jealous of Allen's close friendship with Lenalee?

Did their friendship over the years in the Black Order really make him –dare he say- fall for her? Maybe it was the emotions during the events that occurred that gave him the final push. The push that awakened his soul to the reality that to love another was possible.

Although as a Bookman, he had never really believed in love before.

Was it really like that? He couldn't help but feel jittery and his heart was thumping hard.

_I've never felt so flustered._

He thought of all the long hours they spent on missions, all the time they spent together as a team, and the times that they had fun together, while moodily scuffing the ground with the tip of his sneakers.  
Did they all add up to the feelings he had for her now? Maybe it was time to accept it. Those times where he cared for Lenalee like a brother were not entirely out of kindness. Maybe, just maybe, he now realised he loved her, not only as a friend or comrade, but as a man. He sighed in frustration.

Love was never meant for exorcists. It only caused more pain; pain that nothing could heal.

"Hey! Lavi!" Lenalee panted as she saw his silhouette outside the steps of a building.

"What do ya want?" Lavi replied sulkily, looking down at his feet.

"I'm just wondering why you're so grumpy. And why you walked out on everyone in the restaurant."

Lavi avoided her gaze.

"Well, it's just that..." He stopped mid-sentence.

After a long pause, the aspiring Bookman took a deep breath and stared straight into Lenalee's eyes, causing her to feel a little unsettled.

"Lenalee, I have to admit that I was I little jealous of Allen, and a little sad that I couldn't be with you. I- I… really like you, Lenalee, and I don't wanna lose you. I know I shouldn't be like this to Allen, but I guess love makes one really selfish, yeah?" He smiled weakly, before continuing on.

"Guess I'm not such a great Bookman apprentice after all. I let feelings get the better of me."

Lenalee looked at him sympathetically.

"Lavi, don't say that. You're a really good Bookman, and a great friend. I care about you a lot, Lavi. I was confused between you and Allen. But I've made up my mind already."

At this, Lavi looked up, appearing calmer than before. He stood up and hugged Lenalee.

"Well, I respect your decision. That's what I should do. Yeah."

"So now that things are settled, let's go back to the restaurant for the food, okay? Cheer up. We've got a holiday to enjoy."

Lavi cheered up considerably during the rest of the evening. But now, Allen said little.

* * *

Back at the hotel

Allen and Lavi were watching television in their room, and Lenalee was already asleep.

Over the sound of the television, Allen turned to Lavi.

"You know what? As a friend, I'll tell you this. If you and Lenalee get together, treat her well. As a favour to me."

Lavi's eyes widened.

"But why would she get together with me in the first place? I thought you were better for her."

Allen gave a short laugh.

"Lenalee rejected me during dinner. So she probably does not think of me in that way."

"What? Why would she do that? I thought she liked you."

Lavi's thoughts wandered back to the conversation in the alley.

_"I was confused between you and Allen. But I've made up my mind already."_

She made up her mind _not_ to be with Allen?

Well, Lenalee said that I wasn't the one for her. So I was thinking, maybe you were the one. Because it's kinda obvious that she likes you, and I'm sure you like her too. Both of you have a lot of chemistry between you. I'm imploring you to take care of her, being the dependable friend that you are," Allen said, before standing up and switching the television off.

"I'm going to bed. But please, for Lenalee's sake, think about what I said."

Lavi nodded rigidly, still bewildered at the news that Allen broke to him. He stumbled to his room in a state of shock and thought things over.

Why did one simple activity like going for a holiday end up this way?


	5. Ice Skating

_**Yo there. Again. :) I'm done with this chapter. I did some research on the ice rink thing in France, and apparently there's an ice rink on the Tower itself. Wow.  
Anyway, if there are any discrepancies, please do mention them because I've never been to France and stuff in this fic is bound to be inaccurate. XD**_

_**This chapter is quite short, I think. But prepare for the next one, because it's the LAST.**_

_**-Rejoice.-**_

_**-disclaimer: no, i do not own.-**_

* * *

_The next day…_

After the four exorcists had had breakfast, Lavi suggested that they hit the ice rink.

"The temperature's really low today. Won't it be fun?"

Everybody brought their jackets and made for the ice rink on the Eiffel Tower.

While they skated, Lavi gently pulled Lenalee to the side, away from Allen and Kanda.

"Lenalee, I heard from Allen that you rejected him. Does that mean that... You..."

Lenalee nodded, with a small smile.

"But why? Why did you choose me, when everybody else thought that you and Allen were a perfect couple?"

"Well, it's because you're... You're the first person whom I met in my early years at the Order who I could actually talk to. I can confide in you, of things that I would not tell anyone else, not even Allen. You always cared for me, Lavi, no matter what happened. You were always there for me. I believe that we've got a bond which has crossed beyond the boundaries of friendship."

She adoringly took hold of Lavi's hand.

"I trust you, Lavi, to the point where... I believe that we can work this out."

Lenalee smiled shyly, before murmuring, "I finally spat it out. That was hard."

Lavi smiled.

"I'm glad you did. Come on; let's lighten up the mood here!"

He grabbed Lenalee by the waist and they skated around in circles on the glistening ice. Lenalee smiled at Lavi and hugged him as they skated around and around the ice rink. His laughter was contagious, and it made Lenalee feel warm from head to toe. When they were 'dancing' on the mirror-like surface, coupled with the dreamy scenery of France from the Eiffel Tower, it was heaven. She didn't want it to stop. Ever. She wanted to stay with Lavi.

He made her feel safe.

But the fun did have to stop, and all the exorcists came out of the rink with a smile on their face, minus Kanda.

"I'm never going to allow myself to be dragged by you people on some stupid adventure like this ever again. Just leave me alone in my room."

Allen looked at Kanda, smirking.

"It was stupid only because you didn't know how to ice skate."

"Shut your trap, moyashi. I'm going."

He strode off.

After an awkward silence, a voice spoke up.

"Um, wanna go for lunch now?" Lenalee suggested.

* * *

The day went by quickly, and before the three exorcists knew it, they were already silently making their way back to their hotel suite, tired and worn-out after the day's events.

Fortunately, the relationships between the exorcists finally began to sink in, and the wild emotions from dinner the day before slowly wore off.


	6. Mutual Understanding

**_Hey. :)_**

**_So. This is the last installment of the story. -imaginary cheering-_**

**_Hope you enjoy it, and thanks for reading!_**

**_Oh, and for the last time- I do not own D. Gray-Man. :D  
_**

* * *

Lavi knocked on Lenalee's room door.

"Hello? Can I come in?"

In reply, a groan came from behind the door.

"I take that as a yes," Lavi muttered, turning the doorknob.

He walked into the room and sat next to Lenalee on her bed, watching in amusement as Lenalee desperately tried to tame her hair.

"Thanks for the privacy, trespasser."

"Hey, it's your fault, because it's noon already!" he ruffled Lenalee's hair, messing it up again and causing her to grunt in annoyance. He quickly went on after noticing Lenalee's death glare.

"Anyway, Allen's on a food tour today. Guess he's gonna be a French food connoisseur. So, would ya like to go sightseeing with me? Just the two of us?"

"Okay. I don't mind," Lenalee agreed, blushing a little. "Now I've gotta clean myself up. I'm sorry to inform you that you have to leave. So please, get out."

Lavi stood outside Lenalee's room door for at least half an hour, waiting for her to get ready.  
When she finally did come out of her room, she was gorgeous. The waiting was worth it, Lavi thought, as he took her hand in his and they made their way out of the hotel. Since Lavi was interested in artefacts and history, they spent half the day at museums and monuments, visiting places like Notre Dame and the Pantheon.

"I'm not boring you, am I? With all the history and stuff?" Lavi asked, as they walked through the bustling streets of Paris.

"Nope. I'm just taking in the beauty of everything in France. History is a part of French culture, and it's cool to appreciate that."

"Okay, that's good. Hey, why don't we end the day with the best monument of all?"

"And what might that be?"

"The To'ure de Eiffel, of course! I know we've been there for ice skating, but this time we'll go to the observation deck above the ice rink. The magnificence of the Tower is unparalleled. It's a wonderful way to spend the last day here, before we go back tomorrow."

The pair went up the Eiffel Tower, to the sightseeing deck. Practically the whole of France could be seen, and everything looked so minute from the majestic tower.

"This scene is just so wonderful, isn't it? Maybe you weren't wrong when you said that France makes you want to spout poetry and such. It _is_ a romantic place." Lenalee smiled. Lavi turned to her with an earnest grin, although his face was laced with a little seriousness.

"Speaking of which, I just want to say to you-"

"You don't have to." Lenalee put her finger on his lips, shushing him, before leaning forward and pulling him into a kiss. Lavi was stunned for a second, but took it in his stride and returned it passionately. Lenalee buried her head into his shoulder and whispered, "Lavi... I-"

"I love you. I've been trying to deny this for far too long. Thanks for everything you've done for me over the years. You made me feel at home in the Order, and you made me accept it."

She gazed into his deep and intense eye, and saw in it a beauty she never realised was there before. The gentleness in his eyes was alluring, in contrast to his usual fire and determination. His arms, gentle on her yet those were the arms that killed many.

Lavi looked into her eyes and saw into her soul. Lenalee was headstrong and independent; yet she always sought refuge in him when in doubt. Her hands, grazing against his back, tugging gently on his jacket, were smooth and slender, and were comforting to the touch. No one else noticed the little things about Lenalee that made her beautiful. She was perfect. The moment was just perfect. Everything was right in the world at that point.

The sun had already started to set, casting red streaks all over the darkening sky, and Lavi finally pulled away.

"We need to go back now. But boy, isn't the sunset beautiful?"

"Yup. There's nothing better than watching the sun set from the Eiffel Tower. With you. You know, I really don't mind having another trip with you and the others. This trip was really great fun."

"And Lenalee? I just want you to know that I appreciate whatever you've done for me. I'll be there for you. You can count on me. And... I love you too." Lavi put his arm around Lenalee and they watched the sun set together.

"Hey. Isn't this Timcanpy?"

"Yeah! Allen would be happy!"

"Wait, don't go-" Lavi feebly tried to get a hold on Timcanpy, but he whizzed away speedily into the evening sky.

"Urgh. Timcanpy's gone. Again. Allen had better find him before we get back to the Order."

They met a disgruntled Allen after his food tour.

"Did you guys have fun? Because all I did this afternoon was look for that wretched Timcanpy."

Lavi sniggered and nodded. "Yeah, we did. Oh, and Allen, we saw Timcanpy a few hours ago."

"Really?"

"Yup. But he disappeared just after we saw him."

"What? He's such an irritating golem."

* * *

_Back at the Black Order_

"So, Timcanpy. Are the exorcists having fun? Are they okay?" Komui asked the small creature that was flitting around his face, while sipping coffee. He then saw the video that Timcanpy had projected and sputtered.

"La...Lavi and Lenalee. Together?"

Komui accidentally overturned his coffee cup and his glasses ran askew.

"WHAT THE HELL?"

Tears streamed down his face as he bellowed in misery.

"I am so going to kill that damn Bookman-in-training! He'd better not do anything funny to my darling Lenalee, that cheeky idiot, or I'll set my latest Komurin on him!"

Bookman turned to Komui, expression serene, as usual.

"Do not speak of killing Lavi.

_Only Bookman can kill Bookman._"


End file.
